Humans of DFCM— Dr. Maria Leis
For Dr. Maria Leis, all roads point to Family Medicine when discussing healthcare, leadership and advocacy.
Primary care is the one place anyone and everyone — regardless of socioeconomic status, race, age, or gender — seeks care during some of the most vulnerable times in their lives.
From her undergraduate degree to a fellowship in Emergency Medicine, Dr. Maria Leis made her mark by using her platform to address gender discrimination.
Dr. Leis journey began at McGill where she was chosen to be Valedictorian of her graduating class of 2017. During her address, Dr. Leis focused her attention on the overwhelming problem of gender discrimination, urging her class to “become the generation of change that will attain gender equality once and for all.” This call to action was just the beginning of her journey.
Dr. Leis later attended the University of Toronto for medical school and her family medicine residency, where she was heavily involved, holding roles like four-time class president, three-time National Medical Student Representative of the Federation of Medical Women of Canada Board of Directors and was also a speaker at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women.
During her first summer in medical school, Dr. Leis was a part of a research scholarship where she conducted one-on-one interviews with female sex workers in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya and examined how different components of gender-based violence and inequality predicted health outcomes among this vulnerable group of women.
“Every day, battered and beaten women would come through the clinic doors, sharing stories of rape and brutal assaults.” She says. “Although I had no inclination as to what field of medicine I would ultimately pursue, I was certain that I wanted to use my career to advocate for underserved populations.”
Five years later, Dr. Leis has completed her family medicine training and is completing a fellowship in emergency medicine at Michael Garron Hospital that is driven by her interests.
“Family Medicine is the face of healthcare and the first point of contact with our healthcare system – If you are interested in leadership or advocacy, it starts with family medicine!” States Dr. Leis. “This is where I want to work and make my impact, at the forefront of health equity.”
Planning to later complete a master’s in public health as well, Dr. Leis hopes to pursue leadership roles in advancing healthcare access for women and girls, continuing her work with the United Nations, working with Doctor’s Without Borders and the World Heath Organization.
“For me, being a physician provides you the unparalleled privilege to advocate for populations whose voices often go unheard.” She says. “Beyond clinical skills, I hope to use my training at U of T to tackle challenges women and girls face, such as gender-based violence as I witnessed in Kenya, increasing lack of access to reproductive healthcare and gender inequality.”
Dr. Leis’ passion for advocacy and equality continues to shine despite the challenges that working in family medicine can bring. She notes that “finding the time to balance clinical commitments with [her] extracurricular interests” can be a challenge but believes that making time for friends and exploring the city, as well as making the time for activities like running and yoga, helps her keep moving forward.
Ultimately, prioritizing taking time for herself, as well as her passion and dedication to fighting for gender equality, are what drives Dr. Leis to accomplish all the amazing things she does.
“In Canada, we know a significant pay gap exists between male and female physicians especially in primary care – we have a lot more work to do to close this gap, and being part of this change is inspiring for me.”
